1. Filed of the Invention
The invention relates to a deposit lock for a trolley, and in particular a shopping trolley.
2. Discussion of Related Art
German utility model 93 13 499 U 1 describes a trolley fitted with a deposit lock arranged between a correspondingly shortened handlebar and one of the two supporting parts of the trolley. The deposit lock is connected to the handlebar and screwed to a cap provided on the supporting parts.
Trolleys which are not in use, in particular shopping trolleys, are coupled together and parked in rows by means of deposit locks. These rows or partial rows of trolleys often have to be pushed from one parking area to another, particularly when the trolleys are removed and returned nonuniformly, with the result that there are suddenly not enough trolleys available at a given parking area. When rows of trolleys are pushed, turns inevitably also have to be negotiated, as a result of which tremendous tensile forces are exerted on the coupling members, which are provided on chains, and these tensile forces act in the longitudinal direction of the chains. Ultimately, these forces have to be absorbed by the deposit locks and thus by the individual trolleys. The structure formed as a plug-and-socket connection and shown in FIG. 2 of the aforementioned utility model is in need of improvement with respect to the tensile forces described. The connection between the deposit lock and the cap provided on a supporting part is relatively short in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the handlebar, with the result that the proposed connection is likely at least to be loosened when the tensile forces acting transversely to the handlebar arise.
An object of the invention is to develop further a deposit lock of the present type which is capable of absorbing externally acting forces, in particular the above-described tensile forces, without being damaged and so that the coupling device can advantageously be housed in the deposit lock.
The object is achieved in that portions of the fixing member and an intermediate member are arranged so as to overlap one another and in that the coupling device is arranged in at least one of the portions.
By means of the overlapping arrangement of the said portions, the portions can have relatively long dimensions, thereby forming large mutual supporting surfaces which are capable of absorbing forces acting externally on the deposit lock, in particular tensile forces acting in the longitudinal direction of the trolleys and on the deposit lock via the coupling member of a further coupled trolley, without being damaged. The portions of the fixing member and the intermediate member advantageously overlap in an interlocking manner so that forces acting transversely to the overlap are controllable without causing any damage. In this way, it is also possible to house the coupling device in at least one of the portions since the fixing member and the intermediate member can be dimensioned so that deformation of these members under the influence of forces does not have to be feared. Consequently, the coupling device is not exposed to any bending forces.
In one embodiment, the portions overlap in one plane throughout. However, it is more advantageous if the portions overlap in at least two different planes so that the connection produced between the fixing member and the intermediate member is extremely stable. For reasons of stability, it also proves advantageous if the length of the overlap measured in the longitudinal direction of the handlebar is greater than the width of the coupling device measured in the same direction.